What is the best way to get a boil to come to a head?

Question

I have a boil in a sensitive area, and has continued to get worse over that past 6 weeks. It's becoming impossible to wear undergarments without inflicting pain. The elastic of my panties rubs directly on the boil. Help!?!

Answer 1

Use a super warm wet cloth on it. Keep rewetting and warming the cloth for about 45 min to an hour. Keep checking the boil. It should come to a head and you can then lance it. After you lance it and clean it out well, put some Neosporin on to prevent infection and a clean bandage. Keep cleaning it daily and changing the bandage. It will take a week or so to heal.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Most simple boils can be treated at home. Ideally, the treatment should begin as soon as a boil is noticed since early treatment may prevent later complications.

The primary treatment for most boils is heat application, usually with hot soaks or hot packs. Heat application increases the circulation to the area and allows the body to better fight off the infection by bringing antibodies and white blood cells to the site of infection.

As long as the boil is small and firm, opening the area and draining the boil is not helpful, even if the area is painful. However, once the boil becomes soft or "forms a head" (that is, a small pustule is noted in the boil), it can be ready to drain. Once drained, pain relief can be dramatic. Most small boils, such as those that form around hairs, drain on their own with soaking. On occasion, and especially with larger boils, the the larger boil will need to be drained or "lanced" by a healthcare practitioner. Frequently, these larger boils contain several pockets of pus that must be opened and drained.

Antibiotics are often used to eliminate the accompanying bacterial infection. Especially if there is an infection of the surrounding skin, the doctor often prescribes antibiotics. However, antibiotics are not needed in every situation. In fact, antibiotics have difficult penetrating the outer wall of an abscess well and often will not cure an abscess without additional surgical drainage

Answer 3

Heat is the best method. If possible put hot water in a bottle about half way full. Turn the bottle so that the air is at the bottom and put the top on top of the boil then flip the bottle. A little difficult to do, but the heat and the suction will pull the boil right out and the relief is enormous. Make sure to keep a hot compress on it afterwards for about 10 minutes or take a hot bath.

Answer 4

Apply a wet, very warm moist compress to the area until it comes to a head. I am assuming it is in your perineum which is a pretty common place for a boil to show up. When you are in the shower, if possible, spray the shower hose directly on the area for about 3 or 4 minutes with water as hot as you can stand. When you go to bed at nite is the best times to put the warm moist compresses on. If this doesnt work in 24 -48 hours, go to the doctor.
PS: I am a hospital nurse.

Answer 5

There is a salve called "Prid" it comes in a small flat tin and most pharmacies carry it. This is something even my grandparents used for boils. Just put some on & it should come to a head in just a day or so. My husband has used it several times with good results. You will want to cover the boil with some gauze or something becasue you won't want to get any on your clothes and you want the medication to stay where it is needed.

Answer 6

as a general rule, I would have the patient try someting that is the LEAST of a problem...try very warm compresses to help it come to a head {30 minutes on and 90 minutes off}. You could also try a drawing salve (black salve or icthymol)...if you are still having trouble in about 5-7 days, then i would consult a dermatologist/surgeon...i do not know if you are M or F, but if you are F, it may be a bartholins cyst and your OB/GYN could insert a word cathether into it to drain it...
FIRST OFF...DO NOT squeeze it...that can rupture it intot he surrounding tissues and set up a worse inflammatory infection than you have now...
good luck

Answer 7

go to your pharmacy and ask them if they carry "Black salve" or "ichthammol". It is an old school treatment and will bring boils to a head. This with combination of warm compresses will bring the boil to a head and encourage healing by increasing blood flow to the area (at least the warm compress increases blood flow to the area). Hope this helps

Answer 8

THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL ,THIS IS CAUSED BY NERVES.YOU NEED TO GET THIS BOIL TO A HEAD,BY PINCHING IT.YOU MAY NEED TO PRICK IT WITH A NEEDLE.AFTERWARDS CLEAN WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL, IT WILL LEAVE A SCAR,(A BROWN SPOT) MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON IN AMERICAN WOMEN ,AT MIDDLE AGE. KEEP THE AREA CLEAN FROM SWEAT IF POSIBLE.
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT IDIOTS ON HERE POST.
BECAUSE THIS IS NORMAL,AND IF THEY TOLD THE TRUTH, THEY PROBABLY HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM.THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY ARE BETTER THAN THEM.BUT ITS NOTHING TO FEEL SHAME ABOUT.

Answer 9

See a dermatologist. If you botch dealing with the boil and it gets infected - it can be serious business. No joke.

Answer 10

I'm not totally sure about this but I think applying warm compresses (wet washcloth about hot tub temp, press gently for 15 m, every few hours or so?) could help.